Perth Voice Interactive

Twende trending

BUDDING rap and contemporary hip-hop artist Muranji has released a new EP aimed at taking his musical career to the next level.

The collection of four songs is named Twende, which translates to ‘let’s go’ in Muranji’s first language Swahili – a reference to his lofty ambitions.

“The cover art for the EP is a map if you look closely,” he says. “It’s meant to be a representation, not a specific single place, and it means let’s go to all these different places.”

Muranji says Twende showcases his musical versatility and ability to work across a range of sub-genres within rap and hip-hop.

“Twende shares my experimental tracks branching over different genres and styles,” he says. “Anything that comes to mind or inspires me is what I’m going with. I can’t stick to one rigid sub-genre of music at the end of the day. I don’t think I’m meant to.”

Muranji’s EP kicks off with the experimental song Do Dat featuring fellow Perth artist Kufre.

“It was an experiment with a new kind of beat and a new kind of flow,” Muranji says. “It’s supposed to be fun and light-hearted. This was the first track I decided not to think too much about what we were saying and instead just have fun with the beat.”

The second track Bombay Luv experiments with blending genres and creating a complex soundscape.

“Bombay Luv taps into Afrobeat fused with hip-hop and rap,” Muranji says. “It’s a love song, inspired by a real story from a work colleague. She used to tell me how much she’d argue with her boyfriend and that they didn’t get to see each other a lot. 

“I think the story is relatable.” Muranji says he spent time playing with different sounds and techniques and used this project to fine tune his skills. 

“It’s really about putting in the work,” he says. “The talent alone isn’t what’s going to help you to get where you want to be.”

Muranji admits he has been hesitant and uncertain with his music career in the past, even taking to Instagram, saying, “Thank you for letting me grow at my own pace, still in progress, but damn what a journey so far.”

The third track in Twende is called Wasiwasi, which translates to ‘doubt’ in Swahili.

“I had a lot of doubt and eventually I’ve realised, ‘hey you know what, I am actually good at [making music]’.”

Twende ends with Tapped In, a song Muranji describes as; “an essence of trippy but still hip-hop. I wanted this song to sound dreamy, outer space and ethereal.” 

Muranji mixed and mastered all four songs himself and says there must be a balance of perfectionism and acceptance when making music.

“My key word for this year is stamina. I’m going to keep traction, post lyrical videos, one or two music videos and then another surprise is coming after that,” he says.

Muranji will be promoting the EP through open mic nights around the city in the coming weeks. For info follow his Instagram account @muranji.

by OLIVIA DECLERCK

CONSTRUCTION is underway on the new Bayswater skate and BMX park.

The existing Wotton Reserve skate park has to make way for the state government’s Metronet upgrades to the nearby Morley train station.

It was due to be demolished in 2021 but users and parents feared that might leave the locale without a park for years. It happened in Adelaide, where a skatepark was shut down in 2015 with promises of a replacement – it’s yet to materialise.

A campaign led by now-councillor Josh Eveson before he was elected pushed to get a replacement locked in before the current one was demolished. After an exhaustive search the new site was picked on Wotton Reserve just a kickflip from the old one, and the state government picked up the relocation bill.

It’ll be pretty similar in layout to the last one, Bayswater mayor Filomena Piffaretti says.

“The skate community told us they loved the current skatepark, so the new design retains its original flow and skate elements that they know and love, with a few enhancements.

“The hero of the new facility will be a 3.3-metre-high, 13.5-metre-wide vert ramp with additional roll-ins coming in from above the main platform, the first of its kind in WA and a major upgrade of the existing ramp. Similar to a facility in Mona Vale, New South Wales, the half-pipe will be a major drawcard for skaters and riders.”

If construction goes smoothly it’ll be open in five to eight months. 

THE historic Maylands Brickworks won’t be demolished, but building consultants reckon anything more than stabilising the old buildings will cost cash-strapped Bayswater council big bucks. 

This week the council released a shortlist of options for the brickworks to the community, making clear that “demolish “ and “do nothing” were off the table. 

The brickworks ceased operating in 1983 and have been fenced-off for 25 years.

Some of the structures are in rough shape and could succumb to demolition-by-neglect if they aren’t shored up soon, according to the report by property and development consultants Syme Marmion & Co.

The options put forward for each of the seven significant buildings range from the cheapest – carry out the bare necessary conservation works and seal them up – to a complete overhaul with the buildings becoming community facilities or heritage attractions.

Going with the cheapest ‘secure and close’ options for each building would cost $1.9million. 

The more expensive options for each structure like rebuilding part of the old kiln to make it a gallery or studio space, would cost $7.45million according to Syme Marmion & Co.

Community group Friends of Maylands Brickworks is disappointed its proposal – seek external funds for minimal changes to make the buildings suitable for community use – didn’t made the shortlist. 

“Unfortunately after many meetings, discussions and presentations to City officers and consultants, the Friends of Maylands Brickworks Community Concept has been ignored,” FoMB’s Stella Gray says.

“Our concept is to activate the Brickworks for community use by seeking alternate funding not accessible to City of Bayswater resulting in little to no cost to ratepayers. 

“Our focus for the last four years has not changed from minimal change equals minimal cost to ensure the Maylands Brickworks retains its authenticity, uniqueness and historical significance. “ 

The public can comment on the shortlisted options until May 17 via engage.bayswater.wa.gov.au or hard copies are available at the council admin centre and libraries. You can also chat with the project team on April 30 between 10.30am and midday at the brickworks, 22 Swan Bank Road.

SPREADING the “City of Light” beyond the CBD and into the suburbs has been the focus of some light election campaigning by Labor, with a million bucks now pledged for lighting projects across five councils if they win the federal election in May.

Federal Labor MP for Perth Patrick Gorman says an Albanese government will establish a “Light Up Perth” program to invest in upgrades like switching to an LED streetlight network across the whole of Bayswater.

He says LEDs will cut emissions  from powering lights by half, and “this funding will also allow for improved security and safety across the Bayswater community, including in popular nightspots such as Maylands and Bayswater, as well as retail hubs such as Morley”.

Under lord mayor Basil Zempilas Perth council has rebranded as the “City of Light”, and they were the first announced to benefit from the Light Up Perth pledge with funds for lighting upgrades along the Roe Street Footbridge, and a commissioning of an installation for the Festive Light Trail. The other promised spends to spread the light include streetscape upgrades for Stirling along Beaufort Street in Mount Lawley and Inglewood, and LED streetlights for Scarborough Beach Road and Axford Park in Vincent. 

THE Anzac Day dawn service in Kings Park will be a small, invitation-only event this year to protect veterans from covid-19.

The RSLWA announced “In line with the current covid-19 pandemic climate, RSLWA has had to make the difficult decision not to deliver the traditional Kings Park Dawn Service and remove public participation for 2022”.

A live radio commemorative service will instead be broadcast for people to participate in their own Driveway Dawn Services, “to protect our more vulnerable veterans,” the RSLWA says.

The Anzac Day Parade will go ahead starting from the corner of Barrack Street and St Georges Terrace at 9am, but the RSLWA says it is “encouraging people to only attend as observers if they have friends or relatives marching”.

This year Perth council voted to give $150,000 funding for those Anzac Day events along with the Perth Concert Hall commemorative service and the Gunfire Breakfast.

The funding rationale report said “the Anzac Day activities are of social importance to the city and attracts visitation on a public holiday. There is also potential to have a positive economic impact on City businesses, specifically coffee shops and food and beverage outlets”.

At the April 19 council briefing, lord mayor Basil Zempilas said the King’s Park service being capped “is a little unfortunate obviously because we would like to have seen big numbers return to King’s Park” but he looked forward to representing the council there.

Mr Zempilas addressed the RSLWA’s request that only friends or relatives of marchers attend the CBD parade, and said he was still hopeful of a good turnout: “Certainly I know from people that I have spoken to, is that a large number are planning to be in the city again for the Anzac Day parade,” he said.

“And we look forward to welcoming all of the veterans, and all of those marching, those family members, etcetera, who march on behalf of those who served, we look forward to welcoming them all to the city.”

A LITTLE film about a local swimmer at Beatty Park Leisure Centre is making waves around the world with more than 80 festivals picking it up for screening. 

Young director Radheya Jegatheva’s 2001 short Pacing the Pool even got the nod at an Academy Award-qualifying event, a milestone on the long road to getting an Oscars nomination. 

The honourable mention in the “most inspirational film” category at the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival means Pacing the Pool can be submitted into a group that makes up a shortlist for Oscar contention. Made as part of the Revelation/City of Vincent film festival, Pacing the Pool tells the story of local swimmer Richard Pace who has the bone-weakening condition polyostotic fibrous dysplasia.

“I’m 64,” Mr Pace says in the film. “That’s nearly 30 years since I was supposed to be in a wheelchair. And that’s only, in my view, because I’m in the pool every day.”

The film’s been shown or has upcoming screenings at 83 festivals around the world including those held in the Russian Ural mountains, Sao Paolo Brazil and Los Angeles. 

A SIX metre illuminated puppet will stride around Forrest Place to celebrate the Noongar season Djeran, after last year’s puppetwalk was cancelled.

In July 2021 the puppet was supposed to usher in the wintery Noongar season of Makuru with a parade through the CBD, and was intended to be the signature event for NAIDOC week. The puppet was being brought over from the eastern states by NAIDOC Perth and was to cost Perth city council $104,000.

Perth council’s marketing bumf said the puppet would be “operated by a team of local puppeteers”, but in late June the puppet walk was cancelled in mysterious circumstances.

A Perth council statement said it was “not able to proceed as scheduled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The puppeteers are based in New South Wales and we are yet to know when they can travel to Perth,” despite the earlier claim about using local ones.

The puppet was first brought to life for Sydney’s Vivid Festival in 2018, and was named Marri Dyin, meaning “Great Woman” in the Eora language.

For her journey in Perth she was localised with a new story that aligns to Noongar lore and named Bindaran, and her presence celebrates Noongar women’s connection to country.

This time around the announcement’s been made closer to the date of the parade, with the puppet scheduled for daily free performances in Forrest Place at sunset from April 28 to May 1. 

Perth council is also looking to Noongar tradition to help the local environment.

Their draft Sustainability Strategy 2022-2032 is a broad plan to make Perth into a “climate-focussed”, “resource-conscious” “green city”.

One of the strategy’s aims is to listen to traditional owners and “incorporate Whadjuk Nyoongar knowledge into the City’s sustainability initiatives, programs and practices”. 

The plan goes to councillors for the vote at the April 26 council meeting.